Stitch a raincoat

1. Download the pattern for this project. Print and piece together then use to cut the pieces from fabric, following the cutting guide. With right sides of the fabric facing, match and pin the shoulder seams together and stitch. Do the same with the collar pieces. Trim the bulk from the corners then turn to the right side and press covering the collar with a pressing cloth.

2. Match the centre back neck and the centre of the neck edge of the collar and pin. Clip into the seam allowance around the neck of the coat. Match the front edges of the collar to the notches on the front coat and pin in place, then proceed to pin the remainder of the collar.

3. At the shoulder point, make a 1.5cm cut into the inner collar on the neck edge and pin this back neck part of the collar up into the collar away from the seam, stitch in place. Turn the pinned part inside the collar, aligning this edge with the stitching line at the back neck, then pin and edge stitch in place.

4. With the right sides of the facings and the front coat together, match and pin in place; the front part of the collar will be sandwiched between the coat and the facing. Stitch from the shoulder, around the neck, down the front edge and across the base of the facing. Repeat on the remaining facing. Trim the bulk from the corners, and turn to the right side and press.

5. Match and pin the back and front side seams together, stitch then press the seam open. Next, attach the sleeves by adjusting the stitch length to a large gathering version and sew one row within the seam allowance at the top of the sleeves between the notches. Match, pin and stitch the sleeve seams together, making a tube and easing the fullness between the two notches in this seam.

6. Pull the gathering threads slightly to tighten the heads of the sleeves to fit the armholes, match the notches in the armhole and the sleeves, two notches denotes the back of the sleeve, match these to the back bodice. Pin the sleeves in place then stitch. Fold, press and machine stitch a 3cm hem. Turn and press up the 3cm hem at the base of the coat in line with the base of the front facings, then pin and stitch in place.

7. Make a buttonhole to fit your button in the corner of the right-hand facing then make three more at 13cm intervals down the edge of the right-hand front edge. Lay the coat flat and mark the button positions on the left hand side of the coat and stitch on the buttons.

8. Position the shoulder pads into the centre of the shoulder seams and stitch in place. Lay the top of the outer front facing over the edge of the pads and hand stitch in place in line with the shoulder seams.

Make a cotton mac

1. Cut the pattern pieces as described in the cutting guide, remembering to cut a stand collar piece and one pair of front facings from fusible interfacing. Stitch the shoulder seams together in the same way as for the raincoat, neatening the edges beforehand by overlocking or zig zagging, do this for all raw edges on the mac.

2. Create the mac in the same way as the coat, remembering to iron interfacing to the collar and facing pieces. When adding the buttons, include a buttonhole at the point of the collar, then at 16cm intervals down the right-hand front edge. Attach the buttons in the same ways as for the coat.